A teacher from the Sacramento City Unified School District and one from Elk Grove Unified were selected as Sacramento County's Teacher of the Year 2009.
Sylvia Rodriguez, who teaches in the gifted and talented program at Phoebe Hearst Elementary in east Sacramento, and Janet Anderson, a third-grade teacher at Elliott Ranch Elementary in Elk Grove, were chosen as the top teachers from among 18 instructors in this year's competition Wednesday.
They advance to the statewide competition from which five teachers will be chosen as California Teachers of the Year.
A county Office of Education press release said the two county teachers of the year explained why they became teachers in their application essays.
Anderson: "I am asked a lot why I went into teaching. Isn't it obvious? Don't we all have memories of a great teacher that we can conjure up to help us get through life? I love that about teaching. I love the immediate gratification from having a lesson go well or a student reach a goal. I love the long-term gratification of knowing that I taught something that will make a difference in someone's life."
Rodriguez: "I became a teacher because I believe all children deserve a well-rounded and respectful education that shows them a path to empowerment."
– Bill Lindelof
